Sony Online matchmaking details

Sony Online Entertainment has announced that it is developing a proprietary service to provide game matching features for upcoming games including Lords of EverQuest and Champions of Norrath. The publisher is finalizing the details of the service and says it is using its experience in massively multiplayer games to ensure the service is convenient.

"One of the lessons we've learned as a massively multiplayer gaming company is that players do not want any hassle involved in playing online," said Scott McDaniel, vice president of marketing at Sony Online. "Since we are not relying on third-party software to match players together, our gamers will never have to shut down or leave their game in order to find a multiplayer game."

SOEGames.net is designed to seamlessly connect players with others looking to play the multiplayer components of Sony Online's upcoming games. The publisher revealed that the SOEGames.net will offer multiple levels of service and will include a basic service that will not require an additional subscription fee, but did not release details on the other services that presumably do require a subscription.

Champions of Norrath is an action RPG for the PS2 designed by Snowblind Studios, the creator of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, and it will allow up to four players to adventure together on SOEGames.net. The PC real-time strategy game Lords of EverQuest will offer multiplayer matches with up to 12 players via the service.